As David finds refuge with the Moabites among whom he had relatives (his great grandmother, Ruth, was a Moabitess), Saul is starting to lose faith with all those around him. He starts to develop a paranoia that various people are conspiring against him. His obsession with holding power has now twisted his senses in a way that has not been uncommon amongst megalomaniac leaders down through history. In 1 Samuel 22 we see Saul’s madness given a shocking expression. Suspecting a company of priests of conspiracy against him, he orders their immediate execution, and that day eighty-five priests of the LORD are killed. As king, Saul had the power to indulge his desires. There was no one to stand in the way of him following his inclinations. His courtiers were not permitted to question him in any way. Hence, as he indulged his paranoia it turned into an increasingly maddening obsession. We often get frustrated and angry when we are prevented from following our inclinations and desires. It is hard to be deprived of what you want, but always getting what you want is harder still. Unfettered gratification of inclinations and desires becomes like gluttony to the soul and ultimately sends us into a kind of derangement. In our culture we are indulged far too much, and I wonder at times what effect this is having on us spiritually. If you are not getting what you want, for all the pain of it, consider that it might in fact be a blessing in disguise.
Entrust your spiritual wellbeing to God.
Read 1 Samuel 22
